Featuring: Katie aka ‘Kitty Snack’

Hi! My name is Katie, I’m a 22 year old Sociology/communication double major from Washington State! I have been on YouTube for close to a year and a half and have been doing makeup since I was 16. I am also as of about 6 months ago a cruelty free beauty channel! I’ve worked at places from Hot Topic, to Ulta and love shopping, fashion, and of course makeup. I’m also a very strong advocate for human rights and a proud feminist. I love people and have a big heart and want to share it with the world!

How were you inspired to begin your channel? Where did you start?

When I worked at Ulta I got questions about my makeup all the time, people would ask me how I do my brows, how I do my eyeshadow, whatever it was. And multiple times I was told both by customers and by friends that I should start a channel. I pretty much started for them, I loved makeup obviously and one of my favorite things about being at Ulta was helping people feel gorgeous and practice better skills and techniques. I honestly started my channel on a whim not really knowing where it was going to lead!

“I don’t care if I have 10 subs or 1 million, my subscribers are everything!”

What inspires you and keeps you moving forward? Why are you passionate about it?

My subscribers. 100%! Even though I’m a small channel when it comes to the scope of YouTubers (just hit 10k, yay!) I have legitimately become friends with so many of my subscribers. I have people that I recognize comment over and over on every video I post and they are so loving and supportive. Honestly it used to bum me out that I was a smaller channel and it got a little discouraging because youtube is a slow and steady process to gain momentum, but now I don’t care if I have 10 subs or 1 million, my subscribers are everything! I know every youtuber says that, but its really honestly so true. My subscribers also inspire me because they give me ideas of things I wouldn’t normally do. They also give me such good feedback and make me so much more confident as an artist, which then feeds into me trying to better my videos.

What’s your favorite aspect of the beauty and cosmetics industry?

How much fun it is. It honestly reminds me of when you’re a little kid and you’re given a brand new coloring book, the possibilities are endless! It just allows you so much creativity and can be so empowering. And bonding over product is so amazing. I love working in makeup and I’ll see someone reach for Anastasia Dipbrow Pomade and we can bond over how freaking BOMB that stuff is!

What makes your brand unique from other beauty channels?

I try to ALWAYS be myself, and of course me being an individual I am unique just like everyone else is. But I will always try to do me, not do what’s trendy, or what I think will get me more views, more likes, or more subscribers. But I will always be real. Its very hard to try to stand out in the beauty community because there is such a HUGE pool of people trying to make it big, and I think that sometimes they lose their individuality in order to fit a mold of what a beauty guru should be. And I will never fit that mold and that is A-OK by me!

How do you organize/plan out your content?

Honestly, I don’t! haha. If my camera battery is charged and I have an idea for a video, I sit down and film. If I’m really feeling on a roll I’ll usually edit that same night. I am very disorganized, I’m not on a set uploading schedule and most of the time I upload at midnight because I’ll get the urge to edit and upload late at night! Sometimes I’ll sit down and record 2 videos, like a tutorial for a look and then a review for instance, and then I’ll plan out what days I want them to go up, but that is pretty much it. Nothin’ fancy!

What is your goal for your channel? Dreams?

My like absolute shoot for the stars dream would be to make enough money doing YouTube to start my own nonprofit to help women escape and recover from sex trafficking/domestic violence/etc. But for right now, my goal is to try to grow my channel while keeping my individuality and keeping the close relationship with my subscribers

“Be unique and be yourself, and that is when you get the subscribers that truly become your friends because they’re there because of your personality, not just because you’re another tutorial”

Do you have any tips for others trying to break into the beauty industry?

Be yourself. Just like I said earlier, don’t be another cookie-cutter beauty icon. Be unique and be yourself, and that is when you get the subscribers that truly become your friends because they’re there because of your personality, not just because you’re another tutorial. That will really create loyal subscribers which are the ones you want.

Angels on Bare Skin by Lush is my HOLY GRAIL skin cleanser! It’s absolutely amazing and the only product to truly transform my skin. Favorite beauty products for sure have to be foundation. Everyone has their thing, Shaaanxo has lipsticks, KathleenLights has bronzers, I am all about foundation. I don’t know what it is about it I just love trying new ones and finding different colors, finishes, and formulas! My current favorites right now is Nars All Day Luminous (for the shade, Gobi is my PERFECT match and makes my skin look radiant!) and the Elf acne fighting foundation! Super full coverage and stays so well!

What products are you currently using on a daily basis?

Jeffree Star Velour Liquid lipstick in Celebrity Skin is one of those lipsticks that is CONSTANTLY in my purse. It is my absolute favorite liquid lipstick ever! I’ve also been using the new Nyx Cosmetics Strobe of Genius Illuminating palette, it is SO bomb! And for the past close to two years I have been using the Nyx Set it and Don’t Fret it setting powder, literally SUCH a holy grail product!

What’s your personal style?

I would say it’s a little street wear style, mixed with punk/grungy, mixed with lazy/sporty girl. I was pretty stumped on this question and when I asked my boyfriend how he would describe my style he goes “I don’t know, can you put tumblr as a style?” haha! I love mixing weird patterns and colors, I LOVE layering and almost never leave the house in an un-layered outfit. I also love taking trending things and putting my own twist on them!

How does your personal style influence your branding?

I think it all feeds into my individuality and can make me relatable to others. For instance, I used to be a scene girl when I was younger and still LOVE so much music from that era, like My Chemical Romance (my all time favorite band) and when I bring it up on my channel people love it because they can relate and it just brings us closer as a YouTube family!

What’s your favorite brand and why?

This one is TOUGH.. But I would have to say Lush. Because not only to they make amazing products but they do it without harming animals, the environment, or us by putting harsh chemicals in their products. They stand for everything I want a brand to stand for whether it be ending animal testing, to fair trade products or workers rights. They are all around such a great company and I have yet to hear anything I don’t love about lush. Plus, I mean come on, you cannot beat those bath bombs!